We sought to address a growing debate regarding the adverse and salutary impact of unusual, extraordinary or intense subjective experiences during meditation-based interventions. To do so, we empirically characterized such peak experiences during an intensive meditation intervention and their impact postintervention. We conducted a preregistered prospective intervention study among 96 adults...
Abstract Introduction Psychedelics have garnered increased attention as potential therapeutic options for various mental illnesses. Previous studies reported that psychedelics cause psychoactive effects through mystical experiences induced by these substances, including an altered state of consciousness. While this phenomenon is commonly assessed by the Mystical Experiences Questionnaire...
The Mystical Experience Questionnaire (MEQ-30) and Challenging Effects Questionnaire (CEQ) are two of the most widely used, validated instruments to probe subjective effects of psychedelic drugs. However, these assessments are lengthy and can be a burden to study participants or patients if administered during acute psychedelic effects, after resolution of psychedelic effects when participants...
Abstract The growing interest in the rapid and sustained antidepressant effects of the dissociative anesthetic ketamine and classic psychedelics, such as psilocybin, is remarkable. However, both ketamine and psychedelics are known to induce acute mystical experiences; ketamine can cause dissociative symptoms such as out-of-body experience, while psychedelics typically bring about hallucinogenic...
In this paper, we seek to evaluate the presentation of Sufism in Attar's “The Conference of the Birds”, a Poem translated into the English by Peter Avery, in the Islamic literature. The investigation in its turn is directed on the modern writings to expose how the authors derive from the Sufi traditions the themes, the symbols, and acts to allegorize the many mystical experiences and spiritual...
Research suggests positive changes in both well-being and psychiatric symptoms following a psychedelic experience. One explanation may be the ability of psychedelic compounds to occasion mystical-type experiences. The Revised Mystical Experiences Questionnaire (MEQ30) is designed to assess the intensity and quality of such experiences. We examined the validity, reliability, and factor structure...
The oldest religious beliefs of the ancient China were characterized by personification of natural phenomena, cult of ancestors with a developed magical element and frequent practice of alchemical experimentation. Sorcery continues to exist in later ages, as a feature of classical Chinese autochthonous religions, especially Daoist mystical efforts. In the period from the fourth to the second...
Read Constructing Mystical Experiences: a Critique of the Mystical Paradigm in Psychedelic Research by Hollis Phelps in the Journal for Cultural and Religious Theory archive, with article metadata, citations, and related
Abu Sa'id Abu'l-Khair is one of the most prominent Muslim mystics who consistently sought the development and flourishing of his personality. In his Sufi teachings, he placed special emphasis on humanity and, through his actions and words, provided the groundwork for the spiritual ascent of others. The present study examines and analyzes Abu Sa'id’s personality, as well as the nature of his...
In the Netherlands, scientific interest in psychedelics and their subjective effects has been increasing. The present study examined the reliability, construct and predictive validity of the Dutch 30-item Revised Mystical Experience Questionnaire (MEQ30), a self-report measure that has been used to assess subjective and mystical experiences occasioned by psychedelics. In an online survey, 322...